The present invention is related to an improved telescopic chopstick in which a lower section can be retracted into an upper section of the chopstick. In addition, the lower section can be easily taken out from the upper opening of the upper section for washing to meet the requirement for sanitation.
FIG. 5 shows a conventional telescopic chopstick 5. The telescopic chopstick 5 includes an upper section 51, a lower section 52 and a press member 6. The top end of the lower section 52 is engaged with the bottom end of the upper section 51 to integrally connect the lower section 52 with the upper section 51. The upper section 51 has an upper opening 511 and a lower opening 512. The lower section 52 can be fitted into the upper section 51 from the upper opening 511.
The press member 6 includes a press button 61 and a jacket 62. The press button 61 has a press section 611 and a stem 612 formed with a stopper section 613. The jacket 62 is a hollow member fitted in the upper opening 511 of the upper section 51. The jacket 62 has a locating section 621 and a stop flange 622. The locating section 621 is formed with a pair of transverse locating holes 623 opposite to each other. In addition, the inner wall face of the locating section 621 is formed with a slide channel 624 having a lower opening. The stopper section 613 of the stem 612 is slidably inlaid in the slide channel 624.
The inner wall face of the upper section 51 is further formed with a pair of opposite lower protuberances 513 and a pair of opposite upper protuberances 514 near the upper opening 511. When the lower section 52 is retracted into the upper section 51, the lower protuberances 513 are compressed to locate the lower section 52. The upper protuberances 514 serve to engage with the press member 6 for combining the press member 6 with the upper section 51.
The width of the top end of the lower section 52 is larger than the interval between the opposite lower protuberances 513. In addition, the lower protuberances 513 are formed on an inflexible portion of the upper section 51. Therefore, when it is desired to take out the lower section 52 of the telescopic chopstick for washing, it is hard to change the interval between the lower protuberances 513. Consequently, it is uneasy to take out the lower section 52 from the upper section 51. A user often needs to push the lower section 52 with an alien piece such as another telescopic chopstick. This is quite inconvenient. Moreover, it is laborious and time-consuming to process the upper section 51 to form the lower protuberances 513 and the upper protuberances 514. Therefore, the manufacturing cost is increased.